Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Tides of Fortune and Destiny ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

“When can I see my daughter?” a blurry bloodshot-eyed Usagi asked the nurse pushing her gurney through the maternity ward into Usagi’s private ward.

“You have to wait until you recover, dear. It’s going to be at least three days before you can do anything more than use the restroom.”

The nurse looked down at her charge and saw fresh tears flowing down Usagi’s face. She felt sorry for the young girl, unable to see her baby that most staff believed wouldn’t last much longer, and this she thought would only delay the pain this girl would feel.

“Why three days…?” Usagi cried as they settled her gurney against the wall of her private room and hooked her up to her machines.

“You have to let the incision from your c-section heal properly, or it will get infected.” The nurse patted the distraught girl’s arm as she checked the monitors and left.

Soon thereafter, the nurse met Mamoru and the others in the corridor. “You might want to go in alone, sir. I’ve only just told her she could not see your daughter for at least three days because of her surgery.” Mamoru nodded to the kind woman and held up his hand and the others stopped.

“Be right back,” he said as he entered Usagi’s private ward. Indeed, she was still crying. He went over to his distraught wife and cuddled her. “It will be okay, Usako. You will be able to see her in three days… I promise you,” Mamoru crooned to her as her sobs subsided into hiccups.

“What if she is dead in three days?” Usagi asked as she wiped her face on Mamoru’s shirt.

“She won’t be,” he told her with as much assurance as he could muster.

“How can you be sure? She was born at 22 weeks,” Usagi snapped back, getting mad at him for trying to placate her with empty promises.

“You know, she looks like you except for having black hair, not even chaos could kill you; she is definitely her mother’s daughter. So being born premature won’t kill her. It will only make her stronger,” Mamoru tried to explain his reasoning to her despite the fact he found himself only half believing his words. This calmed Usagi down for the moment at least. “There are some very worried people waiting to see you.” Mamoru caressed her cheek as he looked into her azure-blue eyes.

“I look a mess, I can’t…,” Usagi started.

“They are our friends, you need some friendly faces around you right now. They don’t care about how you look, they only care about you and how you are doing.” Mamoru kissed her forehead, and then gently pulled away and went to the door, and opened it quietly, poking his head through and called for everyone to come in.

Slowly, everyone filed in, separating into groups as there was still a rift between them. “How are you doing, Usa-chan?” Minako tentatively asked as Rei stepped into the room.

“What kind of question is that, Minako? Of course, she is not all right. Look at her for a minute, her face is red and puffy, her eyes are blood shot, she has thirty stitches in her stomach and her daughter will probably not make it through the week. So what kind of stupid question is that?” Rei berated Minako as Usagi started crying again.

Jadeite, at these insensitive words from Rei stepped up, grabbed Rei by the arm, and forcefully pulled her from the room into the waiting room. “What kind of insensitive bitch are you, Rei. How could you just say what you said to Minako about Usagi in front of Usagi? She needs support and what you said was as far from support I have ever heard in my life. So I suggest until you learn how to be more compassionate me and the guys will make sure you stay as far away from Usagi as possible.”

Rei attempted to slap Jadeite, but he caught her hand firmly increasing the pressure making tears come to her eyes. “You got lucky once, fire brand, but you ever try to hit me again, and despite how much I love you I will hurt you.” Jadeite released her hand and walked back towards Usagi’s room it find she had finally stopped crying.

“Where’s Rei?” Usagi asked as she repositioned herself in the bed.

“She won’t be returning until she can be more civil, Usa-chan. So don’t worry about her for now. Have you named the baby yet?” Jadeite asked rejoining the others.

“Athena Hope. We are going to nickname her, Thea,” Mamoru spoke up.

“Ah, a young goddess of war, with a name like that, she will definitely survive,” Nephrite quipped as everyone laughed, even Usagi.

“I was not thinking about Athena the goddess when I named her, Neph, not at all. I just thought it was a pretty name,” Usagi explained as she yawned.

“Okay guys, I think it time for this young mother to get some sleep,” a nurse said as she came into the ward smiling warmly at all Usagi’s friends and approached Usagi and Mamoru and checked her vitals as Usagi yawned and smiled back.

“Bye you two, and start feeling better soon, Usagi….”

The gang all said their goodbyes, and left the young couple.

~*~

**Three days later**


“My poor baby, how fragile you look. Can I touch her?” Usagi asked the nurse.

“I’m sorry sweetie, but you can’t. She might get sick. Only nurses and doctors with gloves on can handle her. She is susceptible to infection and other kinds of illnesses right now. It is time for her to be checked so you are going to have to leave and come back tomorrow. You are getting released today as it is.”

The nurse pushed Usagi aside gently as she put her gloves on and began to examine Thea. Usagi felt tears come to her eyes as she left the neo natal care unit where her daughter was housed.

“I will be back tomorrow then,” Usagi told the nurse as she left and went back to her room where Mamoru was waiting for her discharge papers.

The moment she entered the ward, she flew into Mamoru’s arms crying. “They would not let me touch my own daughter Mamo-chan,” she cried into his shoulder as he made soft noises to help comfort her.

“It will be all right, Usako. You will be able to touch her soon.”

A nurse cleared her throat as she walked into the room, “Good, you are already dressed. Here are your discharge papers. You are to go back to your regular doctor in two weeks to have those stitches removed and get a physical check up.” The woman handed Usagi her papers.

Mamoru picked up Usagi’s suitcase and led her out of the room. They made their way slowly down to the car park garage where a surprise waited for Usagi. She saw a red Cavalier parked next to Mamoru’s red sports car. The Cavalier had a bow tied around it.

“What is with the car and the bow, Mamoru?” Usagi looked from the car to her husband.

“Do you feel like driving?” he asked, fishing out two sets of keys.

“What do you mean, do I feel like driving?” She was puzzled as she looked at the second set of keys.

“It’s from your parents. It is an early seventeenth birthday present. They had planned to give it to you when Thea was expected to be born, but since she is a prem baby, they’ve given it to you now.”

Normally Usagi would have been jumping up and down for joy at a moment like this. Instead, she cried, cried for herself and her baby girl. “Well, since it is here I guess I can drive it home.” She wiped the tears from her eyes, took the proffered keys from Mamoru, and opened the door. It had everything she ever wanted. A GPS, CD player, cup holders, leather seats. She looked in the back and behind the driver’s seat was her car seat with a pad under it to protect the leather underneath. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes as she took all this in, brushing her teardrops away and got into the car and sank into the comfortable soft leather.

“You need to stop crying you sissy, so life through you a tough curveball, just believe and everything will be all right. Your baby will be fine in the long run.” Usagi thought as she found the right key, slid it into the ignition, and started up her new car. She looked over at Mamoru and waved. He gave her a thumbs up sign and gunned the ignition of his own car. Usagi followed him as he exited the car park.

~*~

After climbing out of the driver’s seat and closing the door to her new car, Mamoru pulled her suitcase out of his front seat and they climbed the stairs leading to the lobby and the waiting elevator.

Upon entering their home, Usagi was greeted by her parents.

“Mom… dad, what are you guys doing here?” Usagi asked, surprised and pleased to see them.

“Did you like your new car, Usagi?” Kenji asked his daughter as he walked up to hug her.

At first, he had been set dead against her getting married to a much older boy, but he now knew Mamoru and understood how his daughter had come to love him. He was pleased that his daughter had found her soul mate.

“I love it dad. I wish it had been pink though,” Usagi laughed with her parents for the first time since she had hemorrhaged and almost lost her little girl.

“Red was the only color they had on the lot that was an automatic sweetie, but I am glad you like it. Come, we have something to show you,” Ikuko told her excitedly as she guided her daughter to where the baby’s room. Once they turned the corner, Usagi saw they had set up the nursery. It looked exactly as she had pictured it. They had even repainted the room pink and white to go with the décor. The furniture’s red wood stain looked warm against the pinks and whites. Everything was set up as if they were bringing Thea home that day. Usagi felt her eyes moisten again, for what seemed the fiftieth time. She walked over to her parents and hugged them with all the strength she had left as they hugged her back with equal affection.

“Thank you so much. How I wish Thea was here to be sleeping in this lovely nursery,” Usagi cried into her father’s shoulder. They comforted her until she calmed down.

Mamoru chose that moment to speak up, “I think she needs to get some rest for now. Maybe in a week we can go out for dinner?” Mamoru suggested.

“I think that would be wonderful. Next Saturday at our house, say six pm?” Kenji suggested as he watched his wife lead Usagi to her bed and help her lye down.

“Great… We will see you then, sir,” Mamoru replied with a bow as Usagi’s parents left.

~*~

A sudden knock at the door roused Mamoru from his studies for an upcoming exam due in two days. He got up to answer the door as Usagi came out from the kitchen where she was making some tea for herself. Mamoru opened the door to find Minako on the threshold.

“Come in Minako, it’s good to see you, Usagi will only be a moment, take a seat and make yourself at home…” Minako smiled and nodded her thanks as he stepped aside to allow her to enter .

She rushed to her friend and hugged her, taking her hands in her own. “Can we talk in private? I have something important to ask you.”

Usagi looked to Mamoru and he sighed. “I need to go to the library anyway, so I will see you two later.” He collected his books, kissed Usagi on the cheek and left.

“What’s so important Mamoru can’t stick around. Do you want some tea?” Minako nodded her thanks and Usagi prepared them some tea.

Sipping her tea, Minako finally got the nerve to say what she had on her mind. “It’s about Kunzite. That’s why I did not want Mamoru around, because he might say something to him.”

“What about him then?” Usagi questioned, sipping her tea, eyeing her best friend thoughtfully.

“Is it possible to love someone even after they took away your most precious gift?” Minako set her cup down and looked straight into Usagi’s eyes. “He killed our child in the past. I was three months pregnant and starting to show when the battle started. I saw him and thought he was there to help me. I told him about our baby. He asked me to join him and I would not. He hit me in the stomach making me miscarry and then raped me. I keep having these dreams about us being in love and making love. I see him out on walks at night. I think I still love him, but don’t understand how that is possible.”

“Oh Minako, love is not rational, not at all. When I think back to when Mamoru was possessed and worked for Beryl, I wanted to cry, because he tried to kill me so many times. It broke my heart to think of him when he was working for her. But I still loved him. I loved him enough to watch him die again in front of my eyes and then I tried to save him. What you and Kunzite had was powerful. I could tell by just looking into your eyes, and still can. I know he loves you as well. What he did when possessed is not his fault. Yes, it hurts to think of what you lost. But if you love him, there is nothing wrong with it.”

“But I should hate him for killing our baby and raping me.”

“Hate is such a strong emotion. It’s not healthy. Answer this, do you still want him?” Usagi asked, looking into the other woman’s eyes.

Mina hesitated only for a second, and Usagi smiled. “I take that as a yes.”

“I can’t help it. These blasted dreams keep making me remember and want him so bad, but it can never be. He would never do that with me again,” Mina, sighed.

“Well then, you have to make him see your point of view. He still loves you and I bet if you corner him, you can make him do anything with and for you.”

Minako’s eyes lit up and she stood up. “Thanks Usa-chan, you just gave me a great idea. I think I will go now. Do you have his address with you?”

Usagi smiled and wrote down the address, gave it to Minako and she left. I hope she knows what she is doing. Usagi thought as she retrieved her keys from their place on the desk. It was time for her daily visit with Thea.

~*~

**2035 North Maple Street**


Minako looked at the house number and the paper again, deciding she had the right place. She walked up to the door and tucked her hair behind her ears, licking her lips. She raised her hand and knocked on the door. She waited and gathered her nerve as the door slowly opened. Kunzite looked out and caught his breath. His love was standing before him.

“Can I come in, Kunzite?” she asked as she stood before him looking like a Goddess. He nodded and opened the door wider to allow her access to the house. She walked in and took her coat off.

“Is anyone else home with you? I only saw one car,” she asked as she looked around.

“No …just me. The guys went to Kyoto for the weekend. They won’t be back till tomorrow night.” Mina smiled as she walked up to Kunzite, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the lips. That took Kunzite by surprise as he pulled away. “Mina, no we can’t,” he shook his head.

“You don’t think I know that, but I can’t stop. I want you. I keep having these dreams about us.”

“The baby… no, I can’t…” Kunzite started to turn away.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me, Guardian,” she said, speaking her name for him. It made him stop dead in his tracks.

“We can’t, not after everything I have done to you.”

“Love is not rational, a wise person said to me, and I still love you, do not deny me.” She closed the gap and kissed him again. This time, he gave in and kissed her back, knowing he could no longer deny her. She pulled away. “I need comfort and closure from these dreams. Please love me, even if it is for one night.”

He looked deeply into her eyes and knew she meant what she said. He swept her up into his arms and carried her off to his bedroom. He shut the door with his foot and gave her what she wanted all night long.